Quetta, July 21 Human rights activists from Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Monday slammed Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for making shameful comments about the Baloch community after a viral video showed a woman and a man being shot dead in Balochistan in an alleged case of 'honour killing' for marrying against the wishes of their families.
The unidentified couple were shot dead on the orders of a local tribal council last month, the video which went viral on social media. Reacting to it, the Pakistani Defence Minister on Sunday instead blamed the Balochs, stating that "the ones responsible for this oppression are your own brothers".
Baloch activists have termed Khawaja Asif's statement as a "matter of regret and shame", stating that the current government minister, instead of acknowledging the Sharif government's incompetence regarding the incident and holding their government accountable for such heinous events caused by state lawlessness, public distrust in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, and the unchecked proliferation of weapons, is instead trying to shift the burden of their failures onto others
"And look at the hypocrisy: if this same incident had occurred during the tenure of an opposing government, these very people would have been the first to point fingers at the government. But since they are in power today, no remorse or shame is visible. When you yourself claim that 'Balochistan is under your control', then how do such incidents happen in broad daylight? You are pushing people to lose faith in the state, compelling them to turn to armed groups," said BYC's Sammi Deen Baloch.
Sammi questioned whether the Pakistan government realises the dangerous trend they are promoting. She further recalled an incident that occurred in Awaran district of Balochistan, where the victim's family sought help from an armed group instead of state institutions, and that armed group assisted the girl's family, providing them relief.
The human rights activist asked whether the Minister wanted people to lose faith in the State and stressed that this trend is already growing.
Raising concern, Sammi stated that there have been several incidents in the past where allegations were made against government Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs), but no action was taken against them.
She highlighted that six months ago, an incident of a girl's abduction occurred in Khuzdar district in Balochistan, after which the family protested on their own and secured the girl's release, but "the culprits are still roaming free with no judicial action taken".
Similarly, a few years ago, Sammi mentioned that a serious allegation of murdering a mother and her two innocent children was levelled against a current minister. However, with the full support of the state machinery, she stated that not only was he granted immediate bail, but the Shehbaz Sharif government later included him in its ranks.
The rights activist noted that currently the person is serving as a minister representing the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) party in the Balochistan Assembly, "as if the blood of the victims demands no accountability".
"There may indeed be flaws in Baloch society, but before criticising, look at your own actions and consider your province, which is not even a war-torn area, where far more women are killed each year in the name of honour compared to Balochistan," Sammi stated.
The BYC condemned the horrific murder of the couple, identified as Bano Baloch and her husband, Ehsan, describing it as a "deep and permanent scar on the conscience of Balochistan".
"No self-respecting society can condone such brutal and inhumane acts. In a region where women already endure systemic repression and violence, this tragedy highlights how tribal and feudal forces, often empowered and shielded by the state, continue to act with impunity. These acts are not isolated but symptoms of a broader culture of complicity and silence," the BYC emphasised.
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